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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · vault · charge · straw · shower · march

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. press — to push
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. march — the month
  6. vault — a safe
  7. shower — to wash
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. march — music
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. charge — electricity
  14. shower — rain
  15. press — newspapers
  16. charge — a price
  17. march — the month
  18. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com